Situationist critiques and new centre three-quarters

I have been immersing myself in all things Gang of Four for the past day or two, so stunned was I after the incredible performance by the band on Tuesday. A few online news stories caught my eye and each contains a cracking line or two. The New York Times, reviewing a London gig, states, ‘Clank. Clank. Clank. Clank. Jon King, lead singer of the Gang of Four, was methodically bashing a metal rod against a microwave oven that he found at a recycling dump.’ He did that at Bristol too - very powerful. I love this throwaway Jon King line from Scotland on Sunday: ‘Obviously I was interested in Situationist critique and things like that. Consumerism and this self-commodifying thing; the idea that we start to participate in our lives like we’re watching someone else’s movie.’ There is only one Gang of Four.

I have been playing The Futureheads’ debut album (produced by Andy Gill actually) to death in the car. Add a spoonful of The Jam’s ‘’A’ Bomb in Wardour Street’ and ‘To be Someone’, mix with a cup of ‘This is Pop!’ by XTC, pour in a quart of Gang of Four’s ‘Damaged Goods’ and you get this. It has really grown on me. The two minute pop song returns. Welcome back.

I popped over to Kingsholm last night to hear Nigel Melville’s words of wisdom and came away reasonably upbeat. It appears we are to recruit busily in the summer and a new lock and something decent (at last!) in the centre may heading our way. A win (any win!) this Saturday against an enthusiastic Worcester side will see another log tossed onto the flickering feel good fire that Stade rained on big style a week or two back. Of course one is welcome to replace 'rained' with a word of your own choosing.

I'm going to watch Fahrenheit 9/11 tonight.